1 | Page
NBCE acupuncture Questions and
Answers Latest 2026
Lung Pathology Ans: Qi deficiency, Pallor, thin chest,
sadness, skin problems, atopic constitution, phlegm,
exterior invasions of wind
Function of lungs Ans: Govern Qi and respiration, control
channels and blood vessels, control diffusing and
descending QI, control skin and hair, open into the nose,
control nasal mucus, house the corporeal soul
Lung Qi Deficiency Ans: slight shortness of breath, slight
cough, weak voice, spontaneous day time sweating,
dislike speaking, bright-pale complexion, propensityb to
catch colds, tiredness, dislike of cold, pale tongue, empty
pulse - especially right front posotion
Lung Yin Deficiency Ans: cough which is dry, weak
hoarse voice, dry mouth, tickly throat, tiredness, dislike
speaking, thin body/chest, night sweating, normal tongue
thast is dry w/o coating, floating empty pulse
Lung Dryness Ans: dry cough, dry skin, dry throat, dry
mouth, thirst, hoarse voice, dry tongue, empty pulse -
especially in right front position
Invasion of Lungs by Wind-Cold Ans: Aversion to cold,
fever, cough, itchy throat, slight breathlessness, stuffed
or runny nose with clear watery discharge, sneezing,
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
occipital headaches, body aches, thin white tongue
coating, floating-tight pulse
Invasion of Lungs by Wind-Heat Ans: Aversion to cold,
fever, cough, sore throat, stuffed or runny nose
withyellow discharge, headaches, body aches, slight
sweating, slight thirst, swollen tonsils, tongue slightly red
on sides/front, floating-rapid pulse
Invasion of Lungs by Wind-Water Ans: sudden swelling of
eyes and face gradually spreading to the whole body,
bright shiny complexion, scanty and pale
urination,aversion to wind, fever, cough, slight
breathlessness, sticky white tongue coating, floating-
slippery pulse
Lung-Heat Ans: cough, slight breathlessness, feeling of
heat, chest ache, flaring of nostrils, thirst, red face, red
tongue with yellow coating, overflowing-rapid pulse
Damp-Phlegm in the Lungs Ans: chronic cough coming in
bouts with profuse sticky white sputum, white pasty
complexion, feeling of oppression in the chest, phlegm in
the throat, shortness of breath, dislike lying down,
wheezing, nausea, feeling of heaviness, dizziness, swollen
tongue with a sticky white coating, slippery and soggy
pulse
Cold-Phlegm in the Lungs Ans: cough with white
expectorate, watery sputum, aggravated by cold, cold
hands,phlegm in throat, dizziness, oppression of the
chest, feel cold in chest, feeling of heaviness, dizziness,
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
swollen and wet tongue with white coating, slippery slow
pulse
Phlegm-Heat in the lungs Ans: Barking cough with
profuse sticky yellow/green sputum, shortness of breath,
wheezing, oppression in the chest, phlegm in the throat,
feeling of heat, thirst, insomnia, agitation, feeling of
heaviness, dizziness, red/wollen tongue with sticky
yellow coat, slippery rapid pulse
Dry-Phlegm in the lungs Ans: Dry Cough with occasional
difficult sputum, shortness of breath,oppression of chest,
scanty phlegm in throat, feeling of heaviness, dizziness,
dry throat, wheezing, pasty dry complexion, swollen
tongue with dry sticky coating, slippery-fine pulse
Phlegm Fluids in Lungs Ans: cough with white
expectorate, watery sputum, breathlessness, splashing
sound in the chest, vomiting of white watery frothy
sputum, oppression of the chest, feeling of heaviness,
dizziness, feeling cold, coughing elicited by a scare, pale
tongue with thick sticky white coating,
fine/slippery/soggy/wiry pulse
Heart and Lung Qi Deficiency Ans: slight shortness of
breath, slight cough, weak voice, dislike speaking, bright-
white complexion, propensity to catch colds, tiredness,
palpitations, shortness of breath on exertion, depression,
spontaneous sweating, sighing, pale tongue, empty pulse
All phlegm patterns of the lungs include Ans: cough with
expectorartion of sputum
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4 | Page
Spleen Function Ans: governs transformation and
transportation, controls the ascending Qi, controls blood,
controls the muscles and 4 limbs, opens into the mouth,
manifests in the lips, controls saliva, controls the raising
of Qi, hoses the intellect, affected by pensiveness
Spleen Pathologies involve Ans: tiredness, digestive
disorders, dull-yellow complexion, abdominal distension
The spleen likes this type of food Ans: warm, dry
Most common cause of chronic tiredness Ans: Spleen Qi
Deficiency
Spleen Qi Deficiency Ans: poor appetite, slight abdominal
distension after eating, tiredness, lassitude, desire to lay
down, pale complexion, weakness of limbs, loose stools,
pale tongue, empty pulse
Spleen Yang deficiency Ans: poor appetite, slight
abdominal distension after eating, tiredness, lassitude,
desire to lay down curled up, pale complexion, weakness
of the limbs, loose stools, feeling cold, cold limbs, edema,
pale and wet tongue, deep-weak pulse
The main cause of organ prolapse Ans: Spleen Qi Sinking
Spleen Qi Sinking Ans: poor appetite, slight abdominal
distension after eating, tiredness, lassitude, pale
complexion, weakness of limbs, loose stools, depression,
tendency to obesity, a bearing down sensation in
abdomen, prolapse of stomach/uterus/anus/bladder,
© 2025 All rights reserved
NBCE acupuncture Questions and
Answers Latest 2026
Lung Pathology Ans: Qi deficiency, Pallor, thin chest,
sadness, skin problems, atopic constitution, phlegm,
exterior invasions of wind
Function of lungs Ans: Govern Qi and respiration, control
channels and blood vessels, control diffusing and
descending QI, control skin and hair, open into the nose,
control nasal mucus, house the corporeal soul
Lung Qi Deficiency Ans: slight shortness of breath, slight
cough, weak voice, spontaneous day time sweating,
dislike speaking, bright-pale complexion, propensityb to
catch colds, tiredness, dislike of cold, pale tongue, empty
pulse - especially right front posotion
Lung Yin Deficiency Ans: cough which is dry, weak
hoarse voice, dry mouth, tickly throat, tiredness, dislike
speaking, thin body/chest, night sweating, normal tongue
thast is dry w/o coating, floating empty pulse
Lung Dryness Ans: dry cough, dry skin, dry throat, dry
mouth, thirst, hoarse voice, dry tongue, empty pulse -
especially in right front position
Invasion of Lungs by Wind-Cold Ans: Aversion to cold,
fever, cough, itchy throat, slight breathlessness, stuffed
or runny nose with clear watery discharge, sneezing,
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
occipital headaches, body aches, thin white tongue
coating, floating-tight pulse
Invasion of Lungs by Wind-Heat Ans: Aversion to cold,
fever, cough, sore throat, stuffed or runny nose
withyellow discharge, headaches, body aches, slight
sweating, slight thirst, swollen tonsils, tongue slightly red
on sides/front, floating-rapid pulse
Invasion of Lungs by Wind-Water Ans: sudden swelling of
eyes and face gradually spreading to the whole body,
bright shiny complexion, scanty and pale
urination,aversion to wind, fever, cough, slight
breathlessness, sticky white tongue coating, floating-
slippery pulse
Lung-Heat Ans: cough, slight breathlessness, feeling of
heat, chest ache, flaring of nostrils, thirst, red face, red
tongue with yellow coating, overflowing-rapid pulse
Damp-Phlegm in the Lungs Ans: chronic cough coming in
bouts with profuse sticky white sputum, white pasty
complexion, feeling of oppression in the chest, phlegm in
the throat, shortness of breath, dislike lying down,
wheezing, nausea, feeling of heaviness, dizziness, swollen
tongue with a sticky white coating, slippery and soggy
pulse
Cold-Phlegm in the Lungs Ans: cough with white
expectorate, watery sputum, aggravated by cold, cold
hands,phlegm in throat, dizziness, oppression of the
chest, feel cold in chest, feeling of heaviness, dizziness,
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
swollen and wet tongue with white coating, slippery slow
pulse
Phlegm-Heat in the lungs Ans: Barking cough with
profuse sticky yellow/green sputum, shortness of breath,
wheezing, oppression in the chest, phlegm in the throat,
feeling of heat, thirst, insomnia, agitation, feeling of
heaviness, dizziness, red/wollen tongue with sticky
yellow coat, slippery rapid pulse
Dry-Phlegm in the lungs Ans: Dry Cough with occasional
difficult sputum, shortness of breath,oppression of chest,
scanty phlegm in throat, feeling of heaviness, dizziness,
dry throat, wheezing, pasty dry complexion, swollen
tongue with dry sticky coating, slippery-fine pulse
Phlegm Fluids in Lungs Ans: cough with white
expectorate, watery sputum, breathlessness, splashing
sound in the chest, vomiting of white watery frothy
sputum, oppression of the chest, feeling of heaviness,
dizziness, feeling cold, coughing elicited by a scare, pale
tongue with thick sticky white coating,
fine/slippery/soggy/wiry pulse
Heart and Lung Qi Deficiency Ans: slight shortness of
breath, slight cough, weak voice, dislike speaking, bright-
white complexion, propensity to catch colds, tiredness,
palpitations, shortness of breath on exertion, depression,
spontaneous sweating, sighing, pale tongue, empty pulse
All phlegm patterns of the lungs include Ans: cough with
expectorartion of sputum
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4 | Page
Spleen Function Ans: governs transformation and
transportation, controls the ascending Qi, controls blood,
controls the muscles and 4 limbs, opens into the mouth,
manifests in the lips, controls saliva, controls the raising
of Qi, hoses the intellect, affected by pensiveness
Spleen Pathologies involve Ans: tiredness, digestive
disorders, dull-yellow complexion, abdominal distension
The spleen likes this type of food Ans: warm, dry
Most common cause of chronic tiredness Ans: Spleen Qi
Deficiency
Spleen Qi Deficiency Ans: poor appetite, slight abdominal
distension after eating, tiredness, lassitude, desire to lay
down, pale complexion, weakness of limbs, loose stools,
pale tongue, empty pulse
Spleen Yang deficiency Ans: poor appetite, slight
abdominal distension after eating, tiredness, lassitude,
desire to lay down curled up, pale complexion, weakness
of the limbs, loose stools, feeling cold, cold limbs, edema,
pale and wet tongue, deep-weak pulse
The main cause of organ prolapse Ans: Spleen Qi Sinking
Spleen Qi Sinking Ans: poor appetite, slight abdominal
distension after eating, tiredness, lassitude, pale
complexion, weakness of limbs, loose stools, depression,
tendency to obesity, a bearing down sensation in
abdomen, prolapse of stomach/uterus/anus/bladder,
© 2025 All rights reserved
